1876.] 



Letter to the President. 



315 



electrical condition, illustrates in a striking manner the electrical condi- 

 tion of the molecules in the vicinity of the poles. It is also evident that 

 the electric influence spreads itself out in the electrolyte, in the same 

 way that the magnetic influence does in the magnetic field. 



In an extension of these experiments, employing smaller electrodes 

 and a trough of much greater dimensions, measures of the amount of 

 action in different parts of a liquid undergoing electrolysis would be 

 found, and these would doubtless be in accordance with what might be 

 reckoned a priori from the known laws of electrical action, and would in 

 another way exhibit the equipotential curves which Prof. Adams has 

 worked out in his Bakerian Lecture. I hope to do this so soon as time 

 and opportunity permit. 



The work recorded above is in no way inconsistent with those current 

 views which are usually expressed in the language of Ohm's laws ; but 

 while those views deal rather with results, the views propounded above 

 refer to the physical processes involved, and appear to unite the different 

 kinds of electricity more closely together. 



I have much pleasure in expressing my indebtedness to Professor 

 Gladstone for the use of the chemical laboratory of the Eoyal Institution, 

 where the experimental work of this paper was done. My thanks are 

 also due to Mr. E. J. Legg for his excellent assistance. 



The following letter was read : — 



South Kensington Museum, London, S.W., 

 10th day of February, 1876. 



Sir, — I am directed by the Lords of the Committee of Council 

 on Education to transmit, for your information, the enclosed papers 

 relating to the approaching Loan Exhibition of Scientific Apparatus at 



2a2 



